On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. EDT
in room 1334 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural
Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a
legislative
hearing
on the following bills:
H.J. Res. 29 (Rep. Mann), Providing for congressional disapproval
under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted
by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to “Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened
Status With Section 4(d) Rule for the Northern Distinct Population
Segment and Endangered Status for the Southern Distinct Population
Segment”;
H.J. Res. 46 (Rep. Bentz), Providing for congressional disapproval
under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted
by the National Marine Fisheries Service relating to “Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Endangered and
Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat”.
H.J. Res. 49 (Rep. Stauber), Providing for congressional disapproval
under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted
by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to “Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for
Northern Long-Eared Bat”; and
H.R. 1213 (Rep. Grijalva), “Restoring Effective Science-based
Conservation Under Environmental laws protecting Whales Act of 2023”
or the “RESCUE Whales Act of 2023”.
Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (H.J. Res. 29, H.J. Res. 46 and H.J. Res. 49);
Rick Horton, Executive Vice President, Minnesota Forest Industries,
Grand Rapids, Minnesota (H.J. Res. 49);
Fred Flippance, Board President, Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative
Association, Hines, Oregon (H.J. Res. 46);
Robert Fischman, Professor of Law, Indiana University Maurer School of
Law, Bloomington, Indiana (H.J. Res. 29, H.J. Res. 46 and H.J.
Res. 49) (Minority witness)
Don Hineman, Past President, Kansas Livestock Association, Dighton,
Kansas (H.J. Res. 29)
Panel III:
Sam Rauch III, Deputy Assistant
Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring,
Maryland (H.J. Res. 46 and H.R. 1213);
Norman Semanko, Chief Counsel, Family Farm Alliance, Boise, Idaho
(H.J. Res. 46);
Dr. Michael J. Moore, Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts (H.R. 1213) (Minority witness)
The purpose of this
hearing
is to examine the President’s budget request for the U.S. Forest Service
for Fiscal Year 2024.
US Forest Service Congressional Budget
Justification:
$9.7 billion. The 2024 Budget dedicates $323 million toward management
for “hazardous fuels reduction”, an increase of $116 million from the
2023 enacted level. The 2024 Budget request for workforce salaries and
expenses is $1.42 billion, a $509 million increase above the 2023
enacted level to fund the costs of pay reforms for Federal wildland
firefighters and increase Federal firefighting capacity.
The Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee
hearing
on the U.S. Forest Service took place last month.
Advance sustainable communities by strengthening climate resilience and
energy efficiency, promoting environmental justice, and recognizing
housing’s role as essential to health
The $1.5 billion in following investments will help
HUD achieve this goal:
Public Housing Fund: $300 million for the installation of measures to
increase energy efficiency, reduce water consumption, and promote
climate resilience in public housing. In addition, the Budget includes
$85 million to evaluate and reduce residential health hazards in
public housing, including lead-based paint, and an increase of $25
million for public housing capital funds (under the Public Housing
Fund), which will be critical to improving the quality of public
housing.
Native American Programs: $150 million awarded to eligible Indian
Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) that
rehabilitate and construct new housing units with the focus on
increasing energy efficiency, improving water conservation, and
furthering climate resilience in housing developments within Indian
Country.
Choice Neighborhoods: $185 million to help communities develop and
implement locally-driven, comprehensive neighborhood plans to
transform underserved neighborhoods. The program advances climate
resilience and environmental justice by redeveloping and replacing
distressed public and multifamily housing and neighborhood amenities
with resilient and energy-efficient structures.
Community Development Loan Guarantee (Section 108): $400 million of
loan guarantees, a $100 million increase from 2023, so communities can
leverage their Community Development Block Grant to tackle large-scale
community and economic development projects. This proposal is in
response to the increase in demand for this low-cost, flexible
financing for physical and economic revitalization projects.
Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes: $410 million to mitigate lead
hazards in low-income, unassisted households, as well as identify and
mitigate multiple health hazards.
House Appropriations Committee
Senate Appropriations Committee
Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
Alvaro Bedoya, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
The FTC’s Green Marketing program focuses on
advertising claims that tout the environmental benefits of products and
services. Enforcement administers the program by developing the
Commission’s Environmental Marketing Guides, litigating enforcement
actions, and conducting consumer research and other studies to better
understand the marketplace.
Oversight
hearing
of the Securities and Exchange Commission. This hearing will examine the
regulatory developments, rulemakings, and activities that the
SEC has undertaken in the period since the
last hearing on October 5, 2021.
This includes: On March 21, 2022, the SEC
proposed a 500-page climate disclosure rule that would require publicly
traded firms to disclose detailed emissions data and climate risk
management strategies. Among other details, the rule would also require
certain publicly traded firms to disclose direct and indirect greenhouse
gas emissions that emanate from their supply chains.
The NOAA Organic Act proposed by Chairman
Lucas would establish NOAA as an independent
agency within the executive branch, give it formal statutory authority,
and authorize its mission. Additionally, the
NOAA Organic Act ensures the National Weather
Service will continue to operate within NOAA.
It also consolidates NOAA’s work by refocusing
on its core mission areas. It moves the Office of Commercial Space out
of NOAA and elevates the office within the
Department of Commerce, making it an individual office with an
Undersecretary reporting directly to the Secretary of Commerce.
Additionally, the bill directs a study from the National Academy of
Public Administration on transferring part or all of
NOAA’s work on endangered species and marine
mammal protection to the Department of the Interior.